Kennedy Sides With Bush On National Anthem
by Aaron Margolis, May 3rd, 2006 at 08:26am
You don’t see this every day–Ted Kennedy agreeing with President Bush…
President Bush called the tune, and yesterday, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy chimed in.
“‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ought to be sung in English,” Kennedy told Chris Matthews last night, after the MSNBC “Hardball” host pressed him on the issue.
“This is basically a sideshow,” said Kennedy, the emblematic Massachusetts liberal who has become a strange political bedfellow with the Republican president on immigration as both push for a guest worker program that would lead to citizenship for many illegal aliens.
The national anthem has been recorded in Spanish for a CD showing solidarity with illegals, but Friday Bush denounced it.
“One of the things that’s very important is, when we debate this issue, that we not lose our national soul,” Bush said. “I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English.”
In a transcript provided by Kennedy’s office, the senator told Matthews, “Should it be sung as representation of this country in English? The answer is yes.”
Entry Filed under: Kennedy Watch
2 Comments
1. Salvatore Coglione | May 3rd, 2006 at 9:26 am
How can you tell Kennedy agrees with Bush? After all, Dubya’s latest statement in support of an English-only national anthem is a complete flip-flop –he sang it in Spanish regularly when campaigning for Hispanic votes:
In his book American Dynasy, Kevin Phillips also noted Dubya’s willingness to pander in Spanish for political gain:
2. Knightbrigade | May 3rd, 2006 at 7:36 pm
HEY, either way the National Anthem is going to STAY in ENGLISH. The amazing fact, is that lefty Ted agrees with the ideolical RIGHT whether Bush happens to be there or not.